UPDATE and small warning: This is one of my weaker chapters, so I hope this doesn't make you turn away! I am still working on editing this one, because I get embarrassed rereading it lmao. Still, I hope you enjoy to the best of your ability!
Bardock glared at the 'superhero' flying ahead of him. Something strange had happened to him on Planet Plant; he was able to read power levels without a scouter on. Which he didn't mind at all. Personally, he found them embarrassing to wear.
This Saiyaman person's ki was higher than anyone's he had encountered, even stronger than Lord Chilled and his goons. In fact, the weirdo's level seemed equivalent to his own.
And this bothered the hell out of Bardock.
His snarl was replaced by a confident smirk, immediately remembering his powerful new transformation.
The poor bastard will never know what hit him...
Feeling someone's eyes burning into the back of him, Gohan glanced over his shoulder to see the pensive face of the man who looked so much like his father. He felt his heart begin to sink and become uneasy. It wasn't Goku. It couldn't be his...grandfather. Of course, this person wasn't even capable of being a Saiyan. The only full blooded Saiyans left were his father and Vegeta, and along with Raditz and Nappa, they were the only four Saiyans to have survived Frieza's Supernova.
Unless, of course, someone wished this guy back from the dead...
Gohan gulped. No, no. There wasn't anyone around who would want any cold-blooded Saiyan alive, even the father of Earth's greatest protector. Maybe he wasn't even a Saiyan to begin with. Still...
Who is he?
"Why don't you just take a picture?" Bardock snarled, still being able to detect eyes searching him over even through the idiotic helmet the guy wore. "Can you just pick a spot already?"
The Great Saiyaman laughed wholeheartedly, pointing a proud finger in the air and disguising his voice. "In a big rush to embarrass yourself, good sir?"
The Saiyan chuckled darkly, always loving a dumb opponent. "It amazes me how confident someone wearing antennas on his head can be."
Gohan stopped abruptly, turning around to face the stranger. "Hey! It's called a fashion sense, thank you very much, and I won't be judged by someone wearing leg warmers!"
Bardock growled, inching closer to the foolish hero. "Don't you ever talk shit about the leg warmers."
The Great Saiyaman crossed his arms over his chest, glaring at Bardock through his helmet when he felt his ki begin to skyrocket even more. "I guess this is the spot, then. Are you up for a good flying spar?"
A smirk crossed the deadly Saiyan's face. He had to admit, the guy had courage. "This isn't a spar, you idiot. It's a fight to the death." He chuckled darkly once again, his eyes narrowing. "And I plan on living." Gohan watched in silent awe as the man before him formed the signature fighting stance his father always took before a good fight. Once again, if it weren't for the outfit and scar, Gohan would be looking right at Goku.
Oh, and the tail.
The tail...
THE TAIL.
Gohan felt like his entire body was going to shatter into pieces, as he froze up during his realization. This being was definitely a Saiyan; only a Saiyan or monkeys had a tail like that. If this man wasn't defeated today, the full moon that would come out in a few more nights would definitely be the world's downfall. Sure, it could easily be cut off. But who knows just how powerful his ape form was... What if he couldn't get a chance to chop it off? "WAIT!"
Watching a green orb begin to form in the Saiyan's hand, Gohan raised his arms up, a signal of surrender. Raising an eyebrow, Bardock lowered his hand to his side. "What are you on about now, freak?"
"Y-You're a Saiyan, aren't you?"
The man blinked a couple of times, slightly taken aback.
Shit, I thought after that attack from Frieza the future wouldn't even know Saiyans existed...
Bardock closed the gap between himself and the Great Saiyaman, stricking out a hand that gripped on the hero's neck. To his surprise, Gohan wasn't choking due to the returning strong grip on his arm to restrain it. Bardock snarled. "How the hell do you know what a Saiyan is?"
"My father's a Saiyan..." Gohan gulped, noticing the small shock and mixture of something else form in Bardock's familiar orbs. "Making me one, too... Well, half anyway. My mom's a human." The teen laughed nervously.
Oh, no! I've said way too much!
Bardock threw the Great Saiyaman back a few feet, releasing his grip and pointing an angry finger at the man while his head pounded in confusion. "W-What...?" His shock turned into rage as his voice went higher. "Impossible! By all accounts, every member of the Saiyan race was killed when Frieza destroyed Planet Vegeta! The future should have no knowledge of us!"
He's a time traveler, then...?
Gohan cringed. A part of him really wanted to believe this man wasn't a Saiyan, that it was all a coincidence. But after hearing that, he knew that he just had to be. He gulped before continuing, clenching his hands in a fist. "No. You're wrong."
Bardock suddenly roared out with frustration. "Don't tell me I'm in the fucking past again!"
"No!" Gohan laughed nervously. "No, no. You're in the future... What I meant to say was, you were wrong about the Saiyans. Four of them survived."
The elder Saiyan, still not looking a day over twenty, made his way back to Gohan. Gripping the boy's shoulders tightly, he could see the truthful eyes of this futuristic being through the helmet. "Who."
The Great Saiyaman tried his best to keep his composure, but felt himself shrinking underneath the tough stranger's gaze. The haunting thought that he most likely wasn't a stranger at all pushing its way through Gohan's mind. "Well, for starters, there was Nappa, Raditz, Vegeta, and..." He searched the strained eyes, hinting at when he mentioned Raditz's name, the eyes seemed to cloud over. There was only one way to make sure this man was who Gohan truly believed him to be. "Kakarot. They were all on other planets while the Supernova attacked Planet Vegeta."
My sons...
Bardock took a second to take what this weird guy had to say, not believing him but the painful twist in his stomach knowing this Saiyaman person knew the names of his sons, along with Prince Vegeta and his comrade Nappa. Tightening his nails into the caped shoulders of the hero, Bardock snarled. "Where are they!?"
Gohan trembled due to the powerful grip and voice, not sure what he should say. The only person he was able to tell lies to was Videl, because he loved teasing her. This guy didn't seem like the one to play around. He sighed, looking into the eyes of the mysterious time traveling Saiyan. "They're all dead, except for Vegeta."
The boy felt like he was going to die from the heat radiating from the angry, pained eyes of the one who held onto his shoulders. Suddenly, Bardock released his grasp and flew back a few inches, the familiar yells that escaped his father's lips on Namek against Frieza filling the sky. Gohan watched in amazement as the man's black hair turned gold, black eyes turned green. A brilliant gold aura surrounded him, his icy eyes settling on the Great Saiyaman.
Wow, he's a Super Saiyan...
Gohan scratched his chin, confusion taking over his unseen features.
I thought Vegeta said my father was the legendary Super Saiyan... If this guy is from the past, then...
The boy gasped.
...Then he must be the legendary Super Saiyan!
"No," Gohan shook his head, now speaking aloud. "No, that can't be right."
Well, maybe it is. If my dad became a Super Saiyan, his father would most likely have become one as well. Meaning...
Bardock's green eyes twitched in frustration, not knowing why this being coward in fear upon seeing his powerful transformation. "Are you asking for a death wish or something?"
"Nope!" Gohan, extremely sassy, placed his hands on his hips. This Saiyan got a huge Zenkai power somewhere that helped him achieve this form that was no shocker to anyone, anymore. Still, the boy could easily match it. "I can become a Super Saiyan, too."
"Wh-What!?" Bardock slightly sweatdropped, pointing an angry finger at the dork. "How!?"
The boy smirked, being especially saucy today. "Didn't you hear what I said earlier? My father is a Saiyan," he threw the man before him a knowing look. "And so is my grandfather. Isn't that right, Bardock?"
The older Saiyan lowered his raised fists to his side, slightly in shock. "H-How do you know my name!?"
"Well," the Great Saiyaman shook his head. "I really didn't want to believe it, but as soon as I saw you I knew. I heard stories that you stood face to face with Frieza, and for some reason you must of survived or gone through a wormhole or something to be standing in front of me all these years later."
Bardock's head began to pound, and he held it tight in his palms as if it was going to fall off. His mind was reeling.
This freak is a son of one of the Saiyans!? But which one...
Ugh. Nappa.
It's got to be Nappa.
Bardock peaked through his fingers at Gohan, his eyes narrowed. "So, you're the son of Nappa!?"
The Great Saiyaman began choking on air, his arms flailing. "Nappa is not my dad! Can't you tell by looking at me!?"
His grandfather crossed his arms over his chest, rolling his eyes. "Idiot, you're wearing that ridiculous get-up! All I see is a helmeted disgrace!"
"Oh, right!" Gohan laughed nervously, looking down at his watch that Bulma devised for him so he could easily switch outfits. Pressing the red button his side, his costume magically turned into his regular get-up for school, the Orange Star High School patch on his black vest. He smiled confidently at Bardock, placing his arms on his sides to strike a pose. "Do I look familiar now?"
With his eye twitching for the nth time since meeting the Great Saiyaman, he looked at the newly dressed boy before him up and down. He appeared quite skinny at first glance, but there were hints of that good ol' Saiyan muscle underneath his long-sleeved white shirt, with that good ol' black Saiyan hair. It wasn't until he got a good glimpse of the cream-colored face that his non-existent heart sunk down to his stomach.
"R-Raditz...?"
"Ew!" Gohan shuddered, remmebering his long-haired uncle. "No way... But, you're on the right track!"
Bardock blinked his green eyes some more, and gasped as an image of a vision he had before being hit by Frieza's final attack of that young messy-haired Saiyan, almost identical to himself, defeating the evil space tyrant. He reached a shaky hand towards Gohan. "You're... You're Kakarot's child?"
Gohan laughed, running a nervous hand through his hair. "Well, technically I'm not a child anymore. But yeah... Goku's my father."
His grandfather raised an eyebrow. "What the fuck is a Goku?"
"Oh, uh, that's what everyone calls him here. His Earth name, I guess." Gohan's nervous laughter continued, causing Bardock to grind his teeth.
"Tell me," Bardock sent green daggers his way. "Where's Kakarot now?"
"Uh, it's a long story-"
"Stop that damn laughing!"
"Sorry, sorry!" Gohan raised both of his hands in front of him, a sign of apology. This Saiyan before him was seemingly impatient and uncaring, but the emotion shown in his eyes let the boy know he wasn't entirely soulless. "My father sacrificed himself for me seven years ago against this evil android named Cell..." Gohan lowered his voice, trying to sound as intimating as possible. His trademark awkwardness failed him as usual. "He's way stronger than Frieza ever was."
So my boy defeated two outrageously powerful opponents...
A cocky and proud smirk crossed Bardock's face as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Of course Kakarot defeated both of those weaklings. He's my son, after all."
Gohan fiddled with his thumbs, unsure of how the other Saiyan would react. "Well, not exactly... I was the one who killed Cell, and Vegeta's son from the future ultimately killed Frieza." The infamous nervous laughter returned, much to Bardock's annoyance. "But my father sure beat the hell out of him!"
Bardock's trademark scowl returned due to slight frustration. First of all, from mentioning Vegeta and his son. He groaned. That arrogant asshole always seems to stay alive. And what's this about his son? From the future? "Is everyone a fucking time traveler?" He cursed under his breath, causing Gohan to scratch his head.
"Huh?"
"Nothing!" Bardock snapped, continuing his thought process. Secondly, this kid was making the claim that he killed some android or whatever, who apparently was 'way stronger than Frieza'. Green eyes full of disgust, he looked over his - shudder - grandson. He was a mere toothpick! An awkward dork without Saiyan pride! Bardock grimaced. "So... you're my grandson." He rolled his eyes. "I guess I need to know your name."
"The name's Gohan!" The teen beamed, but grew concerned when he noticed the dirty look he was receiving from the other end. He sighed slightly. "Look, this isn't easy for me to take in either. I can tell you're disappointed because I'm not a ruthless killer like you, but I'm not exactly happy you're here."
He's a little sassy ass, isn't he?
Bardock scoffed, looking away from Gohan. "You're an embarrassment, running around this town playing a superhero. Didn't Kakarot teach you anything, or have you gone soft during his absence?"
"Ha," Gohan placed his hands on his hips and stuck his tongue out like a petulant child. "Joke's on you, your precious son was a hero just like me. And I'm pretty positive he's continuing to be one in Other World."
"Shut up!" Bardock roared, sending a ki blast towards Gohan who easily deflected it. "I saw the look on his face as he gave that tyrant the beating of his life! That's no hero - that's a first class Saiyan warrior that would laugh in your face!"
"Funny." Gohan smirked. "Tell me, would you like to see a real Super Saiyan?"
"Hm?"
The smirk remaining on Gohan's face, he looked directly into Bardock's green eyes as they widened in surprise as his grandson's turned the same color. Sure enough, the same gold aura and hair took over his original Saiyan features. However, unlike Bardock, Gohan managed to transform effortlessly. Sensing the extremely high ki, Bardock flew back a few inches.
Well, the little shit wasn't lying.
"Shall we test our strength?" Gohan asked confidently, pointing finger at the other Super Saiyan. "Or is good ol' Grandpa too old?"
The shock finally leaving him, Bardock chuckled darkly as he charged towards the younger Saiyan. The two golden orbs danced together in the sky, equal sizes. It amazed Bardock immensely how his grandson was managing to dodge every hit, even the ki blasts. They were pretty much even, but Bardock had the sickening feeling in his stomach the boy was holding back on him.
His ki is too high for this BS.
Before the two could land another blow to each other, a yellow jet suddenly appeared right beside the flying duo. Bardock watched as Gohan suddenly froze, his eyes widening when he turned his head slowly to see the driver. Confused, Bardock followed his line of vision to see a young girl about his grandson's age, with long black hair tied back in pigtails. She would look just like a Saiyan female, if it weren't for her big blue eyes. His confusion grew at Gohan began to tremble and speak in tongue.
"I've found you!" The girl shouted, a scowl on her face while pointing a proud finger at the younger Saiyan. "I've found you, Gold Fighter! You're not escaping this time!"
Gohan let out a scream that embarrassed Bardock immensely, before taking off in another direction far away from the jet and his grandfather. "The fuck is going on?"
The sound of the girl's gasp caught his attention as he brought his green eyes back towards the her. Her baby blues were widened with awe mixed with terror. "Oh my God, there's two of them!?"
Bardock looked at the girl in disgust before taking off in the direction of his grandson. "Get back here, boy, we're not finished!"
"IS SHE FOLLOWING US!?" The body ahead of him shouted, causing Bardock to look over his shoulder at the yellow contraption following suit. He rolled his eyes.
"Yeah, want me to blast her?"
"NO!" Gohan was full of panic sweat as he looked back at Bardock with fear. "Just fly as fast as you can and follow me! We'll hide out in my house until it's safe again!"
Bardock paused for a moment, watching his grandson's speed increase greatly as his figure began to disappear. The sound of angry shouts coming from the strange female behind him made him cringe. Honestly, the poor guy had nowhere to go until he was sent somewhere else. Besides, the fight wasn't over yet and knowing a Saiyan's appetite, the boy was sure to have plenty of food.
Taking a deep sigh, Bardock took off in the direction of Gohan, hoping to the Gods he didn't run into any more females.